I received the following comment this past week from a Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) who is now between jobs. She has worked as an administrator at eight facilities in six years. She tells us that the punishment for being a good administrator (Wait, doing a good job is something folks are being punished for? Yes. This is usually the case in the dysfunctional world of nursing homes!) is to be fired. She writes…

“I am one of the good administrators who have been lied on by staff and supervisors alike when I’ve held them accountable for doing their jobs, which in turn has cost me mine, and perhaps my career. If I have to hear one more time that “You are not a good fit”, I’ll just scream! The truth is, they are right, I’m not a good fit for the corrupted nursing home culture I’ve been subjected to. If anyone’s having difficulty understanding my point, just read the comments throughout NursingHomeReality blog.

I’m contemplating not pursing another NHA position. I am not one to sit back and do nothing and allow residents to be mistreated, neglected and/or abused. After so many terminations, I am now seen as a “job-hopper”, so companies don’t want to hire me. The saddest part is that I am well educated and professional. I have a military background and great leadership skills. I am honest, and pride myself in treating others the best I possibly can.

When a former supervisor verbally attacked two of my nurses; I asked him not to, and to speak with me about his concerns. I would in turn, speak with the nurses. Up to this point, I was so good at my job that the supervisor never visited the building because he liked my work and knew I had things under control. After our talk, suddenly, he came to the building unexpectedly and told me “you are not a good fit, and your services are no longer needed”.

On another occasion, a company rewarded me for a job well done in one of their nursing homes by moving me to another one so I could repeat the process. My position ended there after about four months after some staff rendered false reports to the corporate office. Even after the Human Resources department conducted an on-sight investigation that didn’t find anything wrong with my job performance — in fact I was encouraged to keep up the good work — my immediate supervisor was sent in following more complaints just three weeks later. Although her investigation turned up nothing, she informed me that she and the corporate office had made the decision to remove me. The stories are endless.

Now, here I sit near the completion of a doctorates degree unemployed and career ruined all because I tried to do the right thing by residents, their families; by the staff and all else involved. I tried to be the Administrator I was licensed to be by the nation and the state in which I worked. I am the type of administrator that people on this blog would appreciate. I face financial ruin and really don’t see anything getting better for me on the job front. In fact, no one in any industry will want to hire me with a “job-hopper” soaked resume.

The nursing home industry is scary and a disgrace. Our seniors, and others needing nursing home care deserve better.”

Bad employees get away with abuse and neglect of nursing home residents — even murder. Good employees are punished (even fired) for doing the right thing on behalf of their residents. This is a legacy that must change!